Minimizing tin oxide chamber clean time
AssigneeLam Research Corporation
InventorsChing-Yun Chang, Jeongseok Ha, Pei-Chi Liu
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Techniques described herein relate to methods and apparatus for minimizing tin oxide chamber clean time. In many cases, the chamber is a deposition chamber used for depositing tin oxide on semiconductor substrates. The techniques involve exposing the chamber surface to a first plasma generated from a first plasma generation gas including reducing chemistry to reduce the tin oxide to tin, and then exposing the chamber surface to a second plasma generated from a second plasma generation gas including reducing chemistry and organic additive chemistry to remove the tin from the chamber surface. In some cases, the first plasma used to reduce the tin oxide to tin further includes inert gas.
Claims10
A method of cleaning a chamber surface to remove tin oxide therefrom, the method comprising:
- exposing the chamber surface to a first plasma generated from a first plasma generation gas comprising a first reducing chemistry to reduce the tin oxide to tin;
- and
- exposing the chamber surface to a second plasma generated from a second plasma generation gas comprising a second reducing chemistry and organic additive chemistry to remove the tin from the chamber surface.
An apparatus for processing a substrate, the apparatus comprising:
- a processing chamber having a chamber surface on an interior of the processing chamber;
- an inlet to the processing chamber for introducing reactants to the processing chamber;
- an outlet to the processing chamber for removing species from the processing chamber;
- a plasma generator configured to provide plasma in the processing chamber;
- and
- a controller configured to cause:
- exposing the chamber surface to a first plasma generated from a first plasma generation gas comprising a first reducing chemistry to reduce tin oxide on the chamber surface to tin, and
- exposing the chamber surface to a second plasma generated from a second plasma generation gas comprising a second reducing chemistry and an organic additive chemistry to remove the tin from the chamber surface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.